In hindsight, it would have been better if Romney had beaten McCain and lost to Obama in 08. A lot of the "new blood" would have taken the chance this time around if the shadow of "the next guy" was not looming. Romney can, and will, beat Obama this time, but we could have done much better. If he follows his usual pattern, however, he won't seek a second term, leaving the field wide open for 16.

BTW, it's Nikki, not Nicki, Haley.

FWIW, Rand Paul has endorsed Ron Paul, but that doesn't really count.

Romney vs. Obama? Phony vs. Phonier! We can do better.

Jindal's endorsement of Perry will be far more significant than Pawlenty's endorsement of Romney. Jindal is a sitting governor from a neighboring southern state whose political future is very bright, while Pawlenty is a former governor from a traditionally blue state whose aspirations for higher office were effectively shot down by a delusional congresswoman from his own state.

Someone, anyone, please explain to me why a one term governor from a small, northeastern blue state should be considered a top tier candidate for the Republican nomination. The simple fact of history is that nominating a multi-term governor from a large, southern or western state has always been a winning formula for the GOP.

Yep. I've always said he'd make a great game show host. But president? I don't think so.

Romney is fading fast. Good!

I'm still waiting for the reworked Obi-Wan/Dart Vader fight scene with Obi-Wan's original line, "Only a master of evil, Darth," awkwardly re-dubbed to say, "Only a master of evil, Anakin." That's a major inconsistency that has never been addressed.

Mitch Daniels is the absolute last person we need.

I dismiss her out of hand for the very simple reason that she's a congresswoman. It's a simple fact of history that you can't sustain a long-term campaign from the House of Representatives. Members of Congress generally do well when they return to their home state to run for governor (see Mike Pence, Nathan Deal, John Kasich) but have never fared well when trying to make the leap directly to the White House (James Garfield, notwithstanding). Voters, particularly Republican primary voters, want executive experience and I would expect, say, a Paul Ryan to make a gubernatorial run before he sets his sights higher. A mere congressman/woman doesn't stand a chance.

We didn't worry about image during the Reagan years, mostly because there was no alternative conservative media out of which a group of elitists could emerge.

I never saw her as a serious candidate and I am not surprised that she is fading, although I did not expect it to happen this quickly.

Romney is to the Republicans what Dick Gephardt was to the Democrats: a perennial seeker of a higher office he can never attain. He is destined to be little more than a footnote in history.